Monday, September 28, 2009

Boaters Face New Drinking Law

Drinking and boating are two words that seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. But sailors in England are not pleased with a proposed law that would regulate alcohol consumption by recreational boaters. CNN reports that the policies may include breathalyzer tests and alcohol limits similar to those imposed on automobile drivers.


In defense of the new legislation, England’s Dept. for Transportation provided figures from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), stating that alcohol likely played a role in over 25% of leisure craft deaths from 2005 to 2007.

Do you think uniform, nationwide drinking laws are a good idea for boaters in England or in the US, or would this pretty much take all the fun out of boating? Could such a law even be enforced? What are your thoughts?

By the way, the MAIB has very interesting and detailed reports of incidents involving merchant, fishing and leisure vessels at their website.

1 comment:

  1. This is good. Much like driving, boating accidents can be prevented if the boaters themselves are not drunk. After all, it is trickier to figure out a course on the water than on land.

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